The BJP on Thursday claimed that disenchantment is growing in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wants to hand over his chair to his wife, but AAP MLAs are not ready to accept her as their leader.
Addressing reporters, city BJP leaders also claimed that a “constitutional crisis” has emerged in the Capital in the absence of the CM, who is in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody and, therefore, not in a position to give orders or pass instructions.
There was no immediate response from the ruling AAP over the allegations.
The Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal has emerged twice on social media platforms in recent days, reading out messages from her husband who is in an ED lock-up.
AAP had also urged its leaders and workers on Sunday to remain united after the arrest of the Chief Minister in a money laundering case, with its leaders repeatedly saying that he will run the government from jail.
However, Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena, at a public event on Wednesday, said the “Delhi government won’t be run from jail”, drawing a sharp reaction from the ruling party, which said no constitutional provision bars it.
Commenting on the issue, BJP’s North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari said the ruling party is “currently going through an internal battle”. “Mr. Kejriwal is trying to make his wife the Chief Minister and the party legislators are not ready to accept her,” he said.
City BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the claims that Mr. Kejriwal has been passing orders since his arrest on March 21 are false as it is not possible to run the government from ED custody. “Then, who is passing the orders in the absence of the Chief Minister?” he said.
In two separate orders, the CM had asked Delhi Ministers to plug shortage of medicines at hospitals and deal with water supply-related problems.